Information about Ghana

On these pages you will find information about Ghana, including country facts, the history of Ghanaian-Danish relations and an overview of Ghana's political and economic situation.

Formerly Gold Coast, Ghana became independent from Britain on March 6, 1957, and was the first black African colony to achieve independence.

The European power struggles between the 15th and 19th centuries started with the Portuguese who built Elmina Castle in 1482 followed by the Dutch, Swedes, Danes, Prussians and the British looking for fortunes in gold and ivory.

This intense commercial rivalry ended with the growth of the tragic trade in slaves - all 42 European castles and fortifications being used as dungeons for the millions who lost their lives or whose descendants compose the African diaspora today. Cape Coast Castle, one of the best preserved, is becoming an official museum of the Slave Trade.

The capital in Ghana is Accra and is located on the Greenwich Meridian, with a population of about 3 million.

Weatherwise Northern Ghana has a rainy season from about April to October. The rest of the year is hot and dry with temperatures up to 38oC. In southern Ghana the rains last from April to June and again from September to October. Generally temperatures are between 21oC and 32oC.

Travel advice on Ghana can be found on the website of the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not provide travel advice on Ghana. You can read the travel advice by clicking on 'Country Advice' under links.

Hotels, car rental and tourism highlights can be found through 'Ghana tourism', the official tourism website to Ghana. 'Ghanaweb' is a website that covers Ghanaian news, sports, and has an extensive tourism section with travel tips and links to hotels.

AIRPORT:
Kotoka International Airport is situated 12km from Accra city centre. Domestic Airports are located at Kumasi (Ashanti Region), Sunyani (Brong Ahafo Region) Tamale (Northern Region). Hotel shuttle buses and taxis are available.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS AND VISAS:
A valid passport is required by all visitors and visa (except for citizens of ECOWAS states). For visa application to Ghana, please contact the Ghana Embassy in Copenhagen.

IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES:
If anything goes wrong during your stay in Ghana, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has developed some general guidelines for what to do (In Danish)

In case of an emergency